


Catch the Moon

by KaiserinAstraia



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: BBS Soriku, Canon Universe, Fluff, M/M, Riku is a good kid, Sora is the cutest kid, They're best friends, post-bbs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:27:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23318338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaiserinAstraia/pseuds/KaiserinAstraia
Summary: “I was thinkin’,” Riku began, voice lowering to a whisper, “dontcha think the meteor shower would be super cool on the play island?” He glanced up at the sky, giggling at his brilliant idea as the falling lights continued ceaselessly flying across the horizon. “We should go!”Sora gasped comically loud, eyes widening again. “Play island! We could bring our swords!”
Relationships: Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 76





	Catch the Moon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [x_Oath_x](https://archiveofourown.org/users/x_Oath_x/gifts).



> This is for the lovely x_oath_x! The basis of the fic was thought up by them. They are also making a PMV for this, so please check it out! When it's posted, I'll link it here. Their YouTube channel is here: [ link ](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDNKo6ZBJj6GtVNAFbTh3jA)

“Hey, hey—” Riku elbowed Sora, who sat next to him unusually still and quiet. When he got no response, Riku frowned and turned to see Sora’s round, chubby face illuminated fully by the moon and the falling stars. His eyes were wide as saucers, the flying meteors flashing across his blue eyes in streaks. Sora was completely entranced, his mouth hanging open in a silent “ _wow_ ”. It was kinda funny, actually, because Sora had lost one of his front teeth (and Riku _definitely_ didn’t have _anything_ to do with that… it was an accident, anyway! Sheesh), and the gap made Sora look adorably dorky.

Grinning, Riku pinched Sora’s cheeks and shook his head. “Hey, Sooooooora—” 

That got him the response he wanted; Sora flailed his arms at Riku, trying to pull his hands away from his face. “Riiiikuuu, stoooop.” But, he was smiling, too, a giggle forming as he fought back.

RIku obliged and pulled his hands away, but he stayed leaning in close. He felt a _little_ guilty about the little red marks on Sora’s cheeks, but Sora was trying to grab Riku’s face now, even with his eyes squeezed shut with laughter. Being a whole year older, Riku was able to deflect Sora’s grasping hands easily. “Sor _a_ ,” he said again. 

“What?” Sora fluttered his round eyes open, hands falling with a small plop into the sand pile he’d accumulated in his lap. 

“I was thinkin’,” Riku began, voice lowering to a whisper, “dontcha think the meteor shower would be super cool on the play island?” He glanced up at the sky, giggling at his brilliant idea as the falling lights continued ceaselessly flying across the horizon. “We should go!”

Sora gasped comically loud, eyes widening again. “Play island! We could bring our swords!” 

Riku nodded and grabbed his hand — it was covered in sand, but everything was sandy where they lived. Tugging Sora to stand, he exclaimed, “C’mon, let’s ask our parents!” 

Sora stumbled as Riku started walking ahead, his bare feet struggling to find balance in the mussed sand. “Yeah!” he agreed, as he normally did to all Riku’s ideas. “Let’s go!” 

They half-trotted, half-walked to their parents behind them a few meters up, resting in lawn chairs Sora’s mom brought out from the house. Riku’s mom and Sora’s mom were _best friends_ , like Riku and Sora were, so Riku’s mom often brought him to Sora’s house to play. Tonight was special, because Riku was spending the night so they could all watch the meteor shower! He’d been waiting anxiously _all week_ for it, and couldn’t wait to make the night super extra special.

Riku’s mom sat across from Sora’s mom and dad, talking like adults like to do. It made no sense to Riku, so he had no problem interrupting. “Mom! Mom! Me and Sora wanna go to the play island to see the meteor shower. Can we go? Can we?” 

Sora joined in with a chorus of his own. “Yeah! Please mom, pleeeeeease?”

The three adults looked between each other with some amusement. Sora’s dad offered, “I could row ‘em over, Denise.” He was talking to Riku’s mom, but it was Sora’s mom who said, “Mmm, it’s a little too late for that, don’t you think?”

Riku frowned. But his mom agreed: “It’s already close to their bedtime.”

‘Bedtime’ was the worst word of all! Riku frowned at the sand, kicking a small dune in disappointment. But next to him, he heard the tell-tale signs of a Sora-Breakdown: sniffling. “Buh-buh-buh mooooom,” he whined, involuntarily gripping Riku’s hand harder. “It’s a sleepover!! I dun wanna go to bed!”

Sora was already crying big tears, his bottom lip jutted out and shaking. Honestly, Riku wanted to cry too — but he was _six_ years old, and therefore stronger, so he frowned and blinked a lot so he didn’t.

Sora’s mom cooed, “Awwww, honey,” and leaned forward in her chair, pulling her son in for a hug. Riku’s mom too sat up, and sent Riku a knowing stare. He glared at the sand. He didn’t need a hug! He was fine! But his eyes watered when he felt his mom’s gentle fingers brush through his hair, how she always did when Riku was upset.

The adults chuckled, though Riku couldn’t fathom what could possibly be funny about this situation. “Maybe,” Riku’s mom suggested, “maybe it’s time for _ice cream_ , what do you think?”

“Ooh,” Sora’s mom echoed in agreement, “ _yeah_ , that sounds _super_ fun, doesn’t it, Sora?” 

Sora rubbed his eyes. “Ice c-c-cream?”

“Yeah, buddy!” Sora’s dad joined in, “We can have a big ole bowl of ice cream, and then watch the stars a little more!” He looked between his son and Riku, who looked back at him in a little awe. Sora’s dad was so cool. He was tall, super nice, and always could make Sora smile. Riku hoped one day he could be that cool. When Sora’s dad smiled at Riku, Riku couldn’t help but feel a little better, like Sora’s dad was letting Riku in on a Big Adult Secret.

Riku nodded slowly. “Yeah, Sora!” He turned to his bestest friend, who was still sniffling, but no longer crying. “Race you to the kitchen?”

Sora blinked, though it seemed he wanted to play, judging by his little smile. Riku started the countdown and let go of his hand. “3… 2…”  
  


“Rikuuuuu!”

They were both smiling now. “1…. Go!” 

*

Bellies full of ice cream (Riku just had a couple scoops of vanilla, while Sora got chocolate with Hershey’s syrup on top, and some strawberries. Riku stole some of the strawberries), they sat again in the sand along the shore, watching the meteor shower. For some reason, it was even _more_ intense now, and the stationary stars twinkled brighter, like they wanted to join too. 

Their parents had gone inside, having compromised that Sora and Riku could stay out for a _little_ longer and they would retrieve them soon.

What Riku saw was an opportunity.

“Hey, Sora,” he said, elbowing him again. Sora was playing and bouncing in the sand, now “hyper off the sugar” as Sora’s mom had said. Sora looked up instantly, a lopsided grin on his face.

“Yeah, Riku?”

“Let’s go to the play islands! While they aren’t looking,” he said, excited and rebellious. 

Sora grinned wider. “Riku, we’ll get in trouble!”

“So?” he said, “I can row us back before they even notice!”

Sora rubbed under his nose. “I dunno…” But Riku grabbed his hand like before, dragging him up. 

“C’mon, before it’s too late!” 

Sora didn’t provide any more protest, giggling behind his free hand as he followed Riku. “Will the stars really be cool, Riku?”

“I _promise_.” Riku was sure of it.

It _was_ a little hard to row them over to the play islands, but the shooting stars gave them plenty of light. Riku did his best to remember what his dad had taught him a long time ago, about how to knot the rope to the the dock so the boat wouldn’t float away. Riku’s mom didn’t let him row by himself; normally Sora’s dad took them over, now. But he was proud that _he_ did it this time. 

Sora scrambled out of the boat, two wooden swords in his arms. They ran giggling and hooting to the center of the sandy shore, where behind them the small waterfall bubbled and laughed with them. Riku forgot the stars entirely when Sora squealed, “Tag! You’re it!” and dropped one of the swords in the sand.

“Hey!” Riku said, laughing. He instantly joined the chase, snatching up the sword Sora left him. In _their_ game of tag, you could make someone ‘it’ by poking them with the sword, but it didn’t count if you blocked it. Riku was _really_ good at that, but Sora had been steadily learning, too. They ran after each other in turns, laughing and screaming even when their legs got tired and their hands ached from gripping the swords..

They stopped when they forgot who was ‘it’, and laid out in the sand like breathless starfish.

“I totally won,” Riku said, grinning past his pants. 

“Nuh uh! I got you the most times!” Sora argued, still somehow possessing enough energy to kick Riku playfully.

“Oh yeah? How many times?” Riku replied smugly; he knew Sora couldn’t count yet.

“I dunno! Like a bajillion!” Riku just laughed at that, and turned his head to stare up.

When he opened his eyes, he was met with the dance of a _bajillion_ meteors. The incredible sight struck him silent, immediately entranced; he was right, the view from the play islands _was_ better. The meteors looked _closer_ , and you could see their flaming tails as they soared overhead. The sky surrounding them was a deep purple, and without the neighborhood’s yellow lights, the smaller stars shed their shyness to join in their shining. It reminded Riku that there were probably hundreds and hundreds of other worlds out there, full of shining treasures and adventures. He hoped he and Sora could go, someday.

He was so fixated on the meteor shower, he didn’t notice Sora trembling beside him.

“Riku…” Sora said, voice wobbly and small. He grabbed Riku’s hand, and Riku snapped back to reality. When he looked over, his stare was met with wide eyes. “I— I’m scared…” His bottom lip was beginning to pop out, and he was blinking a lot — he was trying not to cry. 

“What’s wrong, Sora?” Riku said, turning on his side. He gripped Sora’s hand harder, to show he was listening.

“Wh-what i-i-if the stars fa-a-all on us?” he said, tears pooling at the sides of his eyes. He turned toward Riku, too, scooting closer. “What i-i-if they hit us?”

For a moment, Riku was stunned. Did meteors fall to the ground? Were they hot, and heavy? Would they _die_? And what about their houses, parents? He hadn’t thought about it before.

Suddenly, glancing around, Riku realized how _dark_ it was; he could only see the silhouettes of the tree house, the paopu tree, and the shack. In fact the only source of light at all was the moon, the meteor shower, and the yellow glow of the homes on the mainland. They’d never been here when it was so dark before… He felt a tendril of fear go through him in a shiver, and the cool night air didn’t help. 

But Sora stared at him expectantly. After all, it _was_ Riku’s idea to come here. He hadn’t wanted to make Sora scared, he just wanted to see the stars together, just the two of them… Riku swallowed — and then suddenly remembered. He remembered what he said to the tall man from the outside world, baring his deepest desire: that he wanted the strength to protect the things that matter. The man had given him a special magic, something that as long as he championed the people he loved, he could protect them. It was… his duty to protect his friends. To protect Sora, his best friend. He had to be strong.

Riku reached out to Sora again, taking his other hand and squeezing with assurance. “Don’t be scared, Sora! Even if a meteor fell, I’d protect you!”

Sora stared at him in such awe, it made Riku’s tummy feel funny — fluttery. “Buh… but isn’t it heavy?” 

“Nah,” Riku said, a smile quirking his lips, “meteors are nothin’! Even if the _moon_ fell I’d totally catch it, so it wouldn’t fall on you.” Though Riku had learned in school that the moon was super big, Riku believed that the magic he was given would grant him the power he needed to keep his promise.

Whether it was true or not, Sora believed him. All fear melted away from his eyes, and he cried, “Yeah! The moon would come down all _pssshhhh,_ ” he imitated the moon falling with a fisted hand, “and you’d be like, _raaaaah!_ ” Then he pretended he caught something big and heavy, arms outstretched so far on either side of him that his elbow rested on Riku’s chest. Turning his wide, toothy grin to Riku, he asked, “Right?”

Riku smiled wide. “Yeah, and then I’d throw it at you,” he couldn’t help but giggle, “and you’d turn into a _pancake_.”

“Nuh uh! I’d catch it, too!”

“Oh, yeah? Catch _this_ ,” Riku challenged, and pulled Sora to him to give him a noogie.

“Hey!” Sora cried, pushing back against him. It turned into a sandy wrestle, of poking and proding and pushing and rolling. Their laughter echoed all around them, making the darkness around them not so scary anymore.

Eventually, Riku pulled Sora up. “C’mon, we gotta go back,” he said by explanation. On queue, Sora released a big yawn and a wide stretch. They headed back to the boat, but Sora stopped Riku from climbing in.

“Riku,” he said, small, but happy, “thanks.”

Riku’s face heated up — and it was too embarrassing to ask ‘what for?’. Instead, he bashfully opened his arms to see if Sora wanted a hug. But Sora’s face lit up much like the night sky before he closed the distance and hugged him tight, face buried in Riku’s chest. Sora was warm, soft, and _short_. The warmth was contagious, and settled in Riku’s heart like a cup of hot cocoa. Riku could rest his head on Sora’s, though he didn’t. He was too busy looking at the stars still streaking across the sky, as if they were smiling with him. 

He knew he wouldn’t forget this night, not ever.

The row back was short, but tiring — it definitely was past their bedtime. Sora struggled to stay awake the whole way through, but Riku didn’t say anything; he figured he could carry Sora home if he passed out.

When they reached the mainland again, Riku knew that they were totally _busted._

“And just _where_ did you and Sora go, young man?!” his mother called across the beach, in her stern tone that she only used when he was in trouble. He winced, but clambered out of the boat dutifully, helping a drowsy Sora get over the side. With his mom were Sora’s parents, too. All their faces wore frowns, even Sora’s dad, and Riku all the sudden felt incredibly guilty.

“W-we went to the play islands… to see the meteors…” he said, looking down at the sand again.

“Sora,” Sora’s dad said sternly, “What did we tell you?”

A sudden panic squeezed Riku’s chest. Oh no, he’d gotten _Sora_ in trouble, too! “Don’t be mad at Sora!” he blurted, “I made him go, sir! It-it was my idea.”

“Riku…” his mom said, disappointed. “You know that was dangerous — it’s dark, and we didn’t know where you were!”

“Yes ma’am.” Sullenly, Riku hung his head. “I’m sorry.” And he was — it was really fun going with Sora, but… 

His mom sighed. Speaking to Sora’s parents, she said, “I think I need to take him home. He can spend the night another night.”

“Nooooo,” Sora whined, “B-but Mrs. Denise!” He started hiccuping, too tired not to cry.

“I think that’s for the best,” Sora’s dad said, though he didn’t sound angry, at least.

“Besides, it’s time for bed, little man,” Sora’s mom said, wiping sand off Sora’s face and hair.

“Noooo, I dun wanna!” Sora blubbered, crossing his arms. 

Riku didn’t want him to get into any _more_ trouble, so he grabbed Sora’s hand. “It’s ok, Sora — we can play another day.” He tried to sound strong, but he was really sad. He ruined their sleepover.

Riku’s mom sighed again, and the two women looked at each other with gentle smiles. She bent down to Riku’s height. “That’s right — we’ll come back really soon, ok? Why don’t you give Sora a hug goodbye.”

This time, Riku didn’t hesitate, and hugged Sora super tight. He couldn’t speak, his throat was too tight, but he felt a little better when Sora grabbed Riku’s tank top as he hiccuped and hugged back.

He had to rub his eyes when he pulled away. “See you next time, Sora,” he managed.

“Bye, Riku,” Sora said mournfully. His mom bent down and scooped him up in her arms, and he was too tired and emotionally exhausted to protest anymore; he put his arms around her neck and cuddled into her embrace. She soothingly rubbed his back as she stood, her husband helping a little. Sora’s legs dangled past her waist; soon, he’d be too big to carry, like Riku was now.

Riku’s mom took Riku’s hand, and they turned to go. “Bye, y’all — thanks for having us,” she said, waving. Riku waved too.

They walked back home in comfortable silence, her hand so warm and soft as it held his.

Before they went inside, Riku paused at the door. “Mommy, I’m really sorry.” He didn’t care if he was still in trouble, but he needed to apologize; it was the right thing to do.

She turned to him again, and smiled, pulling him to the porch swing. Sitting, she patted the spot next to her, and let Riku pull himself up (he liked it when she let him do things himself). He settled on it easily, though his legs weren’t long enough yet to dangle too far.

When she began speaking, her voice was low but gentle. “When I went outside, and couldn’t find you or Sora, I was really scared, Riku.”

Oh. _Oh._ Riku hadn’t thought about that... He fidgeted with his fingers in his lap anxiously, listening.

“It’s my job as your mommy to protect you. You’re already growing up big and strong, but I can’t help but worry.” She took one of his hands, uncurled the fingers that he’d held in a fist. “That’s why I was mad — not that you broke the rule, but that I didn’t know where you were.” She traced the lines on his hand; it tickled a little.

Things made sense, finally, to Riku. Sometimes the rules his mommy and Sora’s parents made just seemed so dumb and purposeless. But now Riku understood this one, at least. He felt guilty again, for making everyone worry.

“I’m sorry, mommy,” he said again, in earnest, “I won’t do it again.”

Her serious frown melted into a fond smile. The relief Riku felt was like a wave. “It’s ok, honey; I believe you,” she said, and then looked around as if looking to see if anyone would overhear. “And guess what? I have a secret to tell you.”

He looked around too. “A secret?” He peered up at her; though her hair was long and black, in the moonlight it looked silver like his hair.

“When _I_ was little, your daddy took _me_ to the play island, too.” She smiled fondly, and for a moment, a little mischievously.

“Really?” He didn’t really remember his dad, only knew what he looked like from pictures — but the thought that his parents did the same things made him a little happy. He wondered what his dad was like — what they were like, as kids, too. Did Riku’s dad like adventures, too? Were they like each other, and his mom like Sora? It seemed crazy that could be true, but he felt charmed by the idea nonetheless.

“Oh, yes. And we got in _so_ much trouble.” She laughed behind her hand, and then ruffled Riku’s hair. He would normally protest, but he let it happen this time. “We got grounded for a _whole week_.” 

A _whole week_! Riku let the thought sink in; they _must_ have done something like Sora and Riku did tonight. He tried to imagine his mom being grounded. It was too wild to fathom, but it was a little funny. He’d definitely tell Sora next time they got to play. 

“Am I grounded, too?” He wouldn’t mind if he was — though he would miss Sora a whole lot. Though he was technically still in trouble, he didn’t feel like it anymore. He felt like the world was a little bigger, suddenly.

His mom put a finger to her lips in pondering, and he looked up at her hopefully. “Hmm… how about this: if you help me do the laundry, you’ll only be grounded tomorrow?”

Only a day! Then, could he play with Sora on Sunday? He nodded excessively, and she laughed again.

“Well, apology accepted.” She patted her thighs and then stood. “C’mon, kiddo. Let’s go inside.” At the mention of it, Riku struggled to stifle a yawn. He slipped off the swing, and waited patiently for her to unlock the door.

“D’you think Sora’s grounded, too?”

She winked down at him. “If he is, I’ll convince his mommy to let him play.”

When he crawled into bed not even twenty minutes later, he fell asleep the minute his head hit the pillow. He slept well, knowing he’d see Sora soon. He dreamed of happy days, assured that no matter the trouble they got into, or what fell from the sky, Riku would keep Sora smiling. It was a promise, and one he’d happily keep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! It's soriku hours all hours on my twitter, kaiserinastraia! It was so fun writing Sora and Riku as sweet little kids... I hope it was a cheerful spot in your day!


End file.
